System Requirements

Verify that your system meets the requirements to install or upgrade to the Solaris operating environment.

Memory Requirement

To install or upgrade to the Solaris operating environment, the suggested memory size is 128 Mbytes or greater.

Note –

Some optional installation features are enabled only when sufficient memory is present. For example, if you install from a DVD with insufficient memory, you install through the Solaris Web Start installation program's command-line interface, not through the Web Start graphical user interface.

Requirements When Using the Solaris 9 Installation CD

When you are installing or upgrading by using the Solaris 9 Installation CD, there are special requirements for SPARC slices and x86 fdisk partitions. When you are installing from a DVD or a net installation image, these requirements are not necessary.

Table 2–4 Solaris 9 Installation CD Requirements

Platform

Requirements

Slice requirements for upgrading

When you use the Solaris 9 Installation CD and the Solaris Web Start program to upgrade, you must have a slice on the disk that does not store files. The swap slice is preferred, but you can use any slice that is not located in
any of the “upgradable” root slices that are listed in /etc/vfstab. The size of this slice must be at least 512 Mbytes.

x86 systems fdisk partition requirements

When you use the Solaris 9 Installation CD, the Solaris Web Start program requires two fdisk partitions on the system disk to perform an installation or upgrade.

Solaris fdisk partition

This is the typical Solaris fdisk partition. If you do not have a Solaris fdisk partition on your system, the Solaris Web Start program prompts you to create one.

Caution: If you change the size of an existing fdisk partition, all data on that partition is automatically deleted. Back up your data before you create a Solaris fdisk partition.

x86 boot fdisk partition

This is a 10–Mbyte fdisk partition that enables the x86 architecture to boot the miniroot that is placed on the newly created swap slice that is located on the Solaris fdisk partition.

Caution: Do not create the x86 boot partition manually.

The Solaris Web Start installation program creates the x86 boot partition by removing 10 Mbytes from the Solaris fdisk partition. By allowing the installation program to create the x86 boot partition, you prevent any existing fdisk partitions from being altered.

Note –

If you install or upgrade a system that has a Service partition, the Solaris Web Start installation program preserves the Service partition and creates the Solaris and x86 boot fdisk partitions. For more information on preserving a Service partition, see x86: Change in Default Boot-Disk Partition Layout.

x86 system upgrade limitations

When you use the Solaris 9 Installation CD, you cannot use the Solaris Web Start program to upgrade from the Solaris 2.6 or Solaris 7 operating environments. The Solaris 9 Installation CD requires a separate 10–Mbyte x86 boot partition that was not required in the Solaris 2.6 or Solaris 7 releases. You must use the Solaris Web Start program from a DVD or a net installation image, or use the Solaris suninstall program or custom JumpStart to upgrade.

x86 systems logical block addressing requirement

Do not use the Solaris 9 Installation CD unless your system can boot across the 1024–cylinder limit. Logical block addressing (LBA) enables the machine to boot beyond the 1024–cylinder limit and across Solaris disk slices. Use the Solaris 9 Installation CD when your system's BIOS and SCSI driver for the default boot disk supports LBA.

To determine if your system supports
LBA, type:

# prtconf -pv | grep -i lba

If the BIOS and SCSI driver for the default boot disk support LBA, the following message appears.

lba-access-ok:

If the SCSI driver for the default boot disk does not support LBA, the following message appears.

no-bef-lba-access

If the BIOS and SCSI driver for the default boot disk do not support LBA, use the Solaris 9 DVD or a net installation image to install or upgrade.